Psoriasis: How it has made me who I am.

The year was 1991, I was a junior in college. One evening, I woke up after what I thought was a nightmare. I had scratched myself to what I thought was close to death.
I immediately jumped into the shower to cool myself as I was burning from the inside, I think that was the worse thing I could have done. The soap interacting with my skin and open wounds made it worse. I simply did not know what to do.

I somehow made it to daylight and went to Mercy Hospital which was within walking distance. I learned within a few hours that I might have Psoriasis. What the hell was Psoriasis? I did not know how I got it. I did get a chance to see a dermatologist and learned more about this disorder/ailment/disease.

Well, I soon learned that I am stuck with this gift (yes, I call it a gift, sometimes it is an unwelcome gift). I had no choice but to change the way I think about things. One good thing that came out of this is that I am can relate to people who are not well or have a family member who is not well.

Everything in life was impacted, my relationships, my activities (sports), my eating habits and personal attention (hygiene). I learned what to do and not to do in every situation and it has been quite a journey.